New budget welcomed

Taxi operators around the country will benefit from the new budget that was announced by the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on Friday.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum announced that the Government will pay for all municipal owned, taxi base fees for next one year from 1 August,2021 to July 31,2022.

Fiji Taxi Association, Navua branch president, Bimal Singh said, while they welcomed the announcement, their concern was that all 65 taxi operators and 10 licensed carrier operators would be missed out because all the three bases in Navua were privately owned.

Currently Taxi operators in Navua are paying $49.05 base fee per month while licensed carrier operators are paying $65.40 base fees for the same period.

Meanwhile, Fiji Taxi Union president Raben Singh said they are ready to assist their members who are operating from a private base around Fiji.

Market Vendors

Around 8000 market vendors in Fiji will benefit from the waiver of the market stall fees which was announced in the National

Budget.

To support all casual and full time market vendors, the Fijian government has provided them with financial relief through the allocation of $2.6 million to pay the full market stall fees for one year.

This will take effect from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022.

The financial relief has been well received by 50 Navua Market vendors who are grateful to Government for the timely assistance.

One of the oldest Navua market vendor, Samina Bibi, 78, said this was the first time any Government has assisted vendors with a waiver in the stall fees for a full year.

“Market fees was just 25 cents a day when I started selling 40 years ago, now we pay $13.25 per week,” said Ms. Bibi.

President of the Navua Market Vendors Association Masla Mani said all vendors were happy with the budget announcement as it will help them take some extra cash home.

“With the increase in vegetable price from suppliers, vendors were struggling as most of them are not farmers, this budget announcement will surely bring some relief to the vendors,” Mr Mani said.